(a) It is determined and declared as a matter of legislative finding that discrimination against an inhabitant of the state because of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood is a matter of public concern and that this discrimination not only threatens the rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the state but also menaces the institutions of the state and threatens peace, order, health, safety, and general welfare of the state and its inhabitants.

(b) Therefore, it is the policy of the state and the purpose of this chapter to eliminate and prevent discrimination in employment, in credit and financing practices, in places of public accommodation, in the sale, lease, or rental of real property because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. It is also the policy of the state to encourage and enable physically and mentally disabled persons to participate fully in the social and economic life of the state and to engage in remunerative employment. It is not the purpose of this chapter to supersede laws pertaining to child labor, the age of majority, or other age restrictions or requirements.

Sec. 18.80.210. Civil rights.

The opportunity to obtain employment, credit and financing, public accommodations, housing accommodations, and other property without discrimination because of sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, race, religion, color, or national origin is a civil right.

Sec. 18.80.215. Activities in aid of housing for minority groups.

The activities of a nonprofit and noncommercial organization on a nonremunerative basis in aiding minority group members to obtain housing opportunities so as to further the purpose of this chapter are not considered a violation of AS 08.88.161
.

Sec. 18.80.220. Unlawful employment practices; exception.

(a) Except as provided in (c) of this section, it is unlawful for

(1) an employer to refuse employment to a person, or to bar a person from employment, or to discriminate against a person in compensation or in a term, condition, or privilege of employment because of the person's race, religion, color, or national origin, or because of the person's age, physical or mental disability, sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood when the reasonable demands of the position do not require distinction on the basis of age, physical or mental disability, sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood;

(2) a labor organization, because of a person's sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, age, race, religion, physical or mental disability, color, or national origin, to exclude or to expel a person from its membership, or to discriminate in any way against one of its members or an employer or an employee;

(3) an employer or employment agency to print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated a statement, advertisement, or publication, or to use a form of application for employment or to make an inquiry in connection with prospective employment, that expresses, directly or indirectly, a limitation, specification, or discrimination as to sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, age, race, creed, color, or national origin, or an intent to make the limitation, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification;

(4) an employer, labor organization, or employment agency to discharge, expel, or otherwise discriminate against a person because the person has opposed any practices forbidden under AS 18.80.200
- 18.80.280 or because the person has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in a proceeding under this chapter;

(5) an employer to discriminate in the payment of wages as between the sexes, or to employ a female in an occupation in this state at a salary or wage rate less than that paid to a male employee for work of comparable character or work in the same operation, business, or type of work in the same locality; or

(6) a person to print, publish, broadcast, or otherwise circulate a statement, inquiry, or advertisement in connection with prospective employment that expresses directly a limitation, specification, or discrimination as to sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, age, race, religion, color, or national origin, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification.

(b) The state, employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies shall maintain records on age, sex, and race that are required to administer the civil rights laws and regulations. These records are confidential and available only to federal and state personnel legally charged with administering civil rights laws and regulations. However, statistical information compiled from records on age, sex, and race shall be made available to the general public.

(c) Notwithstanding the prohibition against employment discrimination on the basis of marital status or parenthood under (a) of this section,

(1) an employer may, without violating this chapter, provide greater health and retirement benefits to employees who have a spouse or dependent children than are provided to other employees;

(2) a labor organization may, without violating this chapter, negotiate greater health and retirement benefits for employees of an employer who have a spouse or dependent children than are provided to other employees of the employer.

(d) In this section, "dependent child" means an unmarried child, including an adopted child, who is dependent upon a parent for support and who is either

(1) less than 19 years old;

(2) less than 23 years old and registered at and attending on a full-time basis an accredited educational or technical institution recognized by the Department of Education and Early Development; or

(3) of any age and totally and permanently disabled.

Sec. 18.80.230. Unlawful practices in places of public accommodation.

(a) It is unlawful for the owner, lessee, manager, agent, or employee of a public accommodation

(1) to refuse, withhold from, or deny to a person any of its services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges because of sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, race, religion, color, or national origin;

(2) to publish, circulate, issue, display, post, or mail a written or printed communication, notice, or advertisement that states or implies

(A) that any of the services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges of the public accommodation will be refused, withheld from, or denied to a person of a certain race, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, color, or national origin or because of pregnancy, parenthood, or a change in marital status, or

(B) that the patronage of a person belonging to a particular race, creed, sex, marital status, color, or national origin or who, because of pregnancy, parenthood, physical or mental disability, or a change in marital status, is unwelcome, not desired, or solicited.

(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a physical fitness facility may limit public accommodation to only males or only females to protect the privacy interests of its users. Public accommodation may be limited under this subsection only to those rooms in the facility that are primarily used for weight loss, aerobic, and other exercises, or for resistance weight training. Public accommodation may not be limited under this subsection to rooms in the facility primarily used for other purposes, including conference rooms, dining rooms, and premises licensed under AS 04.11. This subsection does not apply to swimming pools or golf courses.

Sec. 18.80.240. Unlawful practices in the sale or rental of real property.

It is unlawful for the owner, lessee, manager, or other person having the right to sell, lease, or rent real property

(1) to refuse to sell, lease, or rent the real property to a person because of sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, physical or mental disability, color, or national origin; however, nothing in this paragraph prohibits the sale, lease, or rental of classes of real property commonly known as housing for "singles" or "married couples" only;

(2) to discriminate against a person because of sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, physical or mental disability, color, or national origin in a term, condition, or privilege relating to the use, sale, lease, or rental of real property; however, nothing in this paragraph prohibits the sale, lease, or rental of classes of real property commonly known as housing for "singles" or "married couples" only;

(3) to make a written or oral inquiry or record of the sex, marital status, changes in marital status, race, religion, physical or mental disability, color, or national origin of a person seeking to buy, lease, or rent real property;

(4) to offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with the understanding that a person may be discriminated against in a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or sources in connection therewith because of a person's sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, physical or mental disability, color, national origin, or age;

(5) to represent to a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it is so available, or to refuse to allow a person to inspect real property because of the race, religion, physical or mental disability, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status, change in marital status, or pregnancy of that person or of any person associated with that person;

(6) to engage in blockbusting;

(7) to make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published, any notice, statement, or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of real property that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, physical or mental disability, sex, or national origin, or an intention to make the preference, limitation, or discrimination.

Sec. 18.80.250. Unlawful financing practice.

(a) It is unlawful for a financial institution or other commercial institution extending secured or unsecured credit, upon receiving an application for financial assistance or credit for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of a housing accommodation or other property or services, or the acquisition or improvement of unimproved property, or upon receiving an application for any sort of loan of money, to permit one of its officials or employees during the execution of the official's or the employee's duties

(1) to discriminate against the applicant because of sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, race, religion, color, or national origin in a term, condition, or privilege relating to the obtainment or use of the institution's financial assistance or credit, except to the extent of a federal statute or regulation applicable to a transaction of the same character;

(2) to make or cause to be made a written or oral inquiry or record of the sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, race, religion, color, or national origin of a person seeking the institution's financial assistance or credit, unless the inquiry is for the purpose of ascertaining the creditor's rights and remedies applicable to the particular extension of credit and is not made or used in order to discriminate in a determination of creditworthiness;

(3) to refuse to extend credit, issue a credit card, or make a loan to a married person or a person with a physical or mental disability, who is otherwise creditworthy, if so requested by the person;

(4) to refuse to issue a credit card to a married person in that person's name, if so requested by the person, provided, however, that the person so requesting a card may be required to open an account in that name.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of (a) of this section, any practice permitted by federal statute or regulation applicable to financial or credit transactions of the same character as those covered by this section does not constitute discrimination under this section.

(c) An action by a financial institution or other commercial institution extending credit taken in compliance with (a) of this section, including the extension of credit or the making of a loan, is not a violation of AS 06.20.240
, unless done with the intent or purpose of obtaining a higher rate of interest than would otherwise be permitted by AS 06.20.230
.

(d) This section does not prohibit an institution described in (a) of this section from refusing to contract with a person if the person lacks the legal capacity to contract or if the institution is reasonably in doubt about the person's legal capacity to contract.

Sec. 18.80.255. Unlawful practices by the state or its political subdivisions.

It is unlawful for the state or any of its political subdivisions

(1) to refuse, withhold from, or deny to a person any local, state, or federal funds, services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges because of race, religion, sex, color, or national origin;

(2) to publish, circulate, issue, display, post, or mail a written or printed communication, notice, or advertisement that states or implies that any local, state, or federal funds, services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges of the office or agency will be refused, withheld from, or denied to a physically or mentally disabled person or a person of a certain race, religion, sex, color, or national origin or that the patronage of a physically or mentally disabled person or a person belonging to a particular race, creed, sex, color, or national origin is unwelcome, not desired, or solicited; it is not unlawful to post notice that facilities to accommodate the physically or mentally disabled are not available;

(3) to refuse or deny to a person any local, state, or federal funds, services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges because of physical or mental disability.

Sec. 18.80.260. Aiding, abetting, or coercing a violation of chapter.

It is unlawful for a person to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of an act forbidden under this chapter or to attempt to do so.

Sec. 18.80.270. Penalty.

A person, employer, labor organization, or employment agency, who or that wilfully engages in an unlawful discriminatory practice prohibited by this chapter, or wilfully resists, prevents, impedes, or interferes with the commission or any of its authorized representatives in the performance of duty under this chapter, or who or that wilfully violates an order of the commission, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment in a jail for not more than 30 days, or by both.

Sec. 18.80.280. Acquittal bars other actions.

The acquittal of a person by the commission or a court of competent jurisdiction of any alleged violation of this chapter is a bar to any other action, civil or criminal, based on the same act or omission.

Sec. 18.80.290. Local human rights commissions.

(a) The legislative body of a municipality may, by ordinance or resolution, authorize the establishment of membership in and support of a local human rights commission. The number and qualifications of the members of a local commission and their terms and method of appointment or removal shall be as determined by the legislative body, except that a member may not hold office in a political party.

(b) The legislative body of a municipality has the authority to appropriate funds in amounts as considered necessary for the purpose of contributing to the operation of a local commission, including the payment of its share of the salary of an investigator or staff member acting jointly for it and one or more other local commissions.

(c) The local commission has the power to appoint employees and staff as it considers necessary to fulfill its purpose, including the power to appoint an investigator or staff member to act jointly for it and one or more other local commissions.

(d) The governing body of a municipality has the authority under AS 29.20.320
to grant to local commissions powers and duties similar to those exercised by the commission under the provisions of this chapter.

Sec. 18.80.295. Apprenticeship programs.

The provisions of this chapter affecting discrimination in employment on the basis of age do not apply to apprenticeship programs registered by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, United States Department of Labor, or apprenticeship programs that meet standards equivalent to apprenticeship programs registered by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

Article 05. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 18.80.300. Definitions.

In this chapter,

(1) "blockbusting" means an unlawful discriminatory practice by real estate brokers, real estate salesmen, or employees or agents of a broker or another individual, corporation, partnership, or organization for the purpose of inducing a real estate transaction from which any such person or its stockholders or members may benefit financially, to represent directly or indirectly that a change has occurred or will or may occur from a composition with respect to race, religion, color, or national origin of the owners or occupants of the block, neighborhood, or area in which the real property is located, and to represent directly or indirectly that this change may or will result in undesirable consequences in the block, neighborhood, or area in which the real property is located, including but not limited to the lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial behavior, or decline in the quality of the schools or other facilities;

(2) "commission" means the State Commission for Human Rights;

(3) "complainant" means a person who is aggrieved by a discriminatory practice prohibited by this chapter and who has filed a complaint as provided in AS 18.80.100
;

(4) "employee" means an individual employed by an employer but does not include an individual employed in the domestic service of any person;

(5) "employer" means a person, including the state and a political subdivision of the state, who has one or more employees in the state but does not include a club that is exclusively social, or a fraternal, charitable, educational, or religious association or corporation, if the club, association, or corporation is not organized for private profit;

(9) "labor organization" means an organization and an agent of the organization, for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining, dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid or protection of employees;

(12) "pay" means wages; salaries; commissions; amounts an employer contributes to retirement, health, or other fringe benefit plans; and other forms of remuneration paid to an employee for personal services;

(16) "public accommodation" means a place that caters or offers its services, goods, or facilities to the general public and includes a public inn, restaurant, eating house, hotel, motel, soda fountain, soft drink parlor, tavern, night club, roadhouse, place where food or spiritous or malt liquors are sold for consumption, trailer park, resort, campground, barber shop, beauty parlor, bathroom, resthouse, theater, swimming pool, skating rink, golf course, cafe, ice cream parlor, transportation company, and all other public amusement and business establishments, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons;

(17) "real property" means a building or portion of a building, whether constructed or to be constructed, structures, real estate, lands, tenements, leaseholds, interests in real estate cooperatives, condominiums, and hereditaments, corporeal and incorporeal, or any interest therein;

(18) "state" includes the University of Alaska and the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of state government including all departments, agencies, commissions, councils, boards, divisions, and sections.

Chapter 18.85. PUBLIC DEFENDER AGENCY

Sec. 18.85.010. Public defender agency established.

There is created in the Department of Administration a Public Defender Agency to serve the needs of indigent defendants.

Sec. 18.85.020. Administration.

The agency is administered by the public defender.

Sec. 18.85.030. Appointment and term.

The governor shall appoint the public defender from among two or more persons nominated for that position by the judicial council. The appointment is subject to confirmation by majority of the members of the legislature in joint session. The public defender shall serve a term of four years. If the governor decides to retain the public defender for another term, the governor need not call for nominations from the judicial council; however, the retention must be approved by a majority of the members of the legislature in joint session.

Sec. 18.85.040. Removal.

The public defender is subject to removal by the governor for good cause. If the public defender is removed, the governor shall submit to the legislature a report stating the reasons for removal. The report shall be submitted within 10 days after the action has been taken if the legislature is in session, or if the legislature is not in session, within 10 days after the convening of the next regular or special session.